HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/17/2025 - Regular - Additional Doc-Possible Code RevisionPossible Code Revision Concerning Minimum Ground Story Height in the
McCormick Village Overlay District
McCormick Communities is seeking to revise the MVOD to reduce the minimum ground
floor story height from 12 to 10 feet in the McCormick Village Overlay District.
Suggested Motion: NU( JUN 17 2025
"I move to approve an ordinance amending Title 20 wi
amendment to POMC 20.28.225 (2) concerning minimum ground story height
in the McCormick Village Overlay District as presented by staff."
The following language would be added to the end of section (2) (see page 226 of the
packet):
Exception: Minimum Ground Story Height for Single -Story Shopfronts and Mixed -Use
Shopfronts. The minimum ground story height for single -story and mixed -use
shopfront buildings within the MVOD shall be 10 feet. Story height shall be
measured in accordance with POMC 20.40.050(5), from the top of the finished floor
to the ceiling above.
Background: McCormick Communities has brought up an issue that they are having in
both the existing code and proposed code related to "Minimum Ground Floor Elevation." In
our existing code and in the code as recommended by the Planning Commission (Sections
20.32.130 and 20.32.140), single -story shopfront and mixed -use shop front buildings are
required to have a minimum ground floor elevation of 12 feet. In McCormick Village, they
have designed all their buildings to a 10 -foot minimum ground floor elevation. They point
to a prescriptive section of the building code that limits stud height to 10 -feet and the
maximum floor to floor elevation of 11 feet 7 inches for wood construction. While they
aren't using this prescriptive code on the few buildings that have been designed thus far,
they argue that a higher ground floor height would require different and more expensive
construction methods.